I read this article as my extra one from the Disability Studies Quarterly. (So did my small groupmate Brie.) Brie and I both liked that the article was a personal story rather than a scholarly/theoretical piece. I think that’s important because when it comes to discussions on disability, it’s important to consider primary sources about the lived experience of disability, rather than having able-bodied people speak over disabled voices.
The article said that since the first reports of Covid in Wuhan, Asian hate has risen in the US. It’s almost ridiculous how at the same time as BLM was gaining momentum and people started debating mask mandates, Asian hate also started to rise. (Even amidst people arguing that racism and Covid are two myths.)
I personally know people who jokingly call Covid the Chinese flu or other racially charged nicknames. I have a hard time explaining my discomfort with it because they always say they’re “just joking.” I would love some input on this situation–is there anything I could say that would be helpful?
I liked the tip in the article about wearing clear face masks. My small group discussed that idea extensively. I personally don’t see why clear face masks can’t become more prevalent. They’re definitely more expensive/harder to find, but I wonder if we couldn’t change that by raising demand.